On Normandy's Wings
by Raven of Alaska
Summary: I won't tell you how I got here or where I'm from. All you need to know is that I'm living another life in a universe as deadly as it is mysterious. Oh, and Shepard just died. Self-insert/OC story. Will cover ME2 and ME3.
1. Attack on the Citadel

**Disclaimer: I don't own Mass Effect. I only own Tristan; he is me, yet he isn't… I've changed a few things. **

I won't bother telling you how I got here, not all that interesting anyways. All you need to know is that I've been in the Mass Effect universe for five years now. My life here has been… interesting, to say the least.

My first memory of this place is a frightening one. I woke up with explosions going off around me and Zaeed Massani standing over me. "Tristan," he bellows at me, "get up!" The fire in his eyes didn't grant me time to ask questions.

I grab a Matlock rifle and push myself up. Shots wiz around me as I run for cover, slamming myself against a large boulder. Peeking out from behind my cover, I notice batarians firing at us. _Batarians, Zaeed. Places me in the Mass Effect Universe_. "Crap," I mutter under my breath. A few shots glance off the rock and I lift the Matlock, taking aim. My finger pulls the trigger and the recoil knocks me on my butt. Screaming cuts through the air; my intended target I'm guessing.

"Bloody hell, you hit?" Zaeed asks. I shake my head as he extends a hand and pulls me up. Before I can say anything, he turns, rolls out of cover, and opens fire. He charges forward and the batarians fall back. "Amateurs!" he screams, his face turning red. "Stand and fight!"

I follow in his wake, keeping quiet with Matlock raised. We vault over their dead and weapons, hot on their heels. Opening fire, I bring down two more batarians, the recoil nearly knocking me off my feet. _I've got to get used to that_.

The last of the batarians pulls out some sort of grenade and we back up. A blinding flash, flames everywhere. I hesitate while Zaeed rushes on, dashing _through _the flames as if they were nothing. A couple of minutes later, shots are fired and Zaeed returns. "Got the bastard," he states, clapping a hand on my shoulder. "Let's head back to the ship Tristan."

My memory is a bit foggy after that. Zaeed and I split ways after that, him going off to track down a bounty on Illum while I go to my home. On Omega. Of all the places to end up... curse my luck. Aria and I don't see eye to eye, and she's suspicious of me. I'm worried she'll try to have someone off me.

Using a terminal in my room, I try to research myself. Thankfully, the terminal interface isn't that much different than a computer; otherwise I'd be out of luck. The research takes a while, but I finally found my profile in the Omega citizen registration logs. Didn't expect this type of thing to exist here. Anyways, here's my profile.

_**Tristan Alchmeda Ryein**_

_**Gender: Male**_

_**Birthdate: April 23, 2155**_

_**Current age: 23**_

_**Hair: Dark red**_

_**Eyes: Cyan**_

_**Birthplace: Edinburgh, Scotland, Planet Earth**_

_**Background: Born and raised on Earth, graduated at the age of 18. His parents were both former Alliance soldiers. Former member of the Shaded Star gang on Earth and bounty hunter. Minor catches. Specializes in Matlock Heavy Rifle and dual pistols. Trained from a young age to be the perfect soldier by his parents; fled home after graduation. Parents died two years later. **_

_**Threat level: Medium. Keep an eye on him. His skills with pistols is greater than his skills with a rifle; recommend sending a small squad to make him "disappear" if he causes any problems. His skills are most likely due to the training his parents put him through. **_

That's the end of it. Needless to say, I worked my way down to the "low" threat level and Aria lightened up around me, though there's not much of a difference. That was five years ago.

The current star date is 2183. I'm no longer on Omega. Currently, I'm staring down a small squad of geth on the Citadel. To think I moved here to get some peace and quiet; this place is anything but. The Reaper, _Sovereign_, has started his attack. No worries, though. I've played the game, I know Shepard's going to save us.

The question is, will I be alive to see it? One bounty hunter and four C-Sec personnel against twenty or so geth? Odds aren't in our favor. Still, we fight on. Plasma tears past me and into the chest of Chitwa, a salarian officer. Her muffled scream as she falls is barely noticed. No time to mourn; she was a good friend, I'll make sure she gets the funeral she deserves.

Back to the task at hand. We're running low on ammo, the geth are advancing. Few of them fall, not nearly enough. It's going to take a miracle for us to get out alive. One of the other C-Sec officers, a turian, pulls out something from his belt and tosses it.

The concussion grenade goes off, knocking a few of the geth backwards, bringing down shields. More of them fall. Thirteen to four now. It hardly seems to matter, though, as both geth destroyers are still standing.

Our fire slackens as we take pot shots, doing our best to conserve ammo and stay alive. Guess I should mention we're holed up in one of the 800 level apartments; probably one of the reasons we're not dead. Yet.

Still advancing, their lights focusing on us. I take out an incendiary, hoping it'll buy us time. The a couple of the geth, including one of the destroyers, catches fire and I expend the last of my ammo and bring it down. No gun, no ammo, I look around for anything that I could use. Why I left my weapons in my apartment I'll never know; perhaps because I don't want them to get confiscated.

The only thing I see is Chitwa's sub-machine gun. The clip's half empty and there's only three clips left. Returning to the window, I expend then switch out the clip. There are less than ten now. We just might make it through this.

"Out!" the turian cries. He then proceeds to run to the doorway, prompting the rest of us to do the same. An explosion rips the wall away, sending chunks flying everywhere. We're booking it out of the apartment complex and into the next, the geth streaming in behind us. The last of our grenades is used to collapse a hallway, forcing the geth pursuing us to find another route.

An explosion rocks the ward, then another. Burning metal falls from the sky, and I know that _Sovereign _is no more. With baited breath we wait for the geth, holing up in this apartment. Movement to our left, gunshots, cries of victory. "They're on the run!" somebody shouts. More gunfire. A knock on the door. "Is anybody in there?" the same voice shouts.

It is the turian who speaks up. "Officer Visket, C-Sec. I've got officers Ginwe and Chrugak with me and a bounty hunter. We lost Chitwa."

The door opens to reveal another turian. He nods towards Visket address us. "The destruction of that ship has thrown the geth into disarray. They're uncoordinated, like they don't know what's going on. C-Sec is cleaning them up right now with help from Alliance personnel. Word is Shepard had something to do with it. Not bad for a human."

"This one's not too bad either," Visket replies, pointing to me. "Great shot with a Matlock. Keeps calm under pressure. Friend of Chitwa's, I believe."

"Tristan Ryein, sir," I state, addressing the turain. One eye opens wide.

"_The _Ryein who stopped an assassination attempt on Admiral Hackett last year?" he asks.

"Yes sir," I reply. Didn't feel like talking about it. I was made a hero for killing one of my closest friends and saving Hackett's life; I didn't feel like a hero. Just a regular guy in the right place at the right time.

He seems to notice my demeanor and doesn't pursue the matter, though he wants to. The others slightly gawk at me. "You can help clean up or report to the infirmary if you have wounds," he orders. Turning to me, he adds, "Want to help clean up the geth?"

I nod. "Give me a weapon and ammo and I'll be ready."

None of us got any sleep the next couple of days. The geth formed small pockets of resistance all across the Citadel, but we located and wiped them out. Bloody took forever, but we did it.

So, the Citadel's saved, the Council was saved, Anderson is the first human Councillor, and I'm alive. This universe has become my home, and I've all but left the other universe in my distant memory.

One month from now, the _SSV Normandy _ will be destroyed and Shepard will be killed. Two years from now, Cerberus will bring him back to life. Two years from now, I'll probably still be on the Citadel.

I'm Tristan Ryein, and this is my story.


	2. The Rise of Archangel

**Disclaimer: I don't own Mass Effect. Thank you everyone for reading, reviewing, adding to favorites, and alerting!**

I was off doing errands when Garrus Vakarian shows up. A year and a half after Commander Shepard is killed, he calmly walks up to me and in a determined voice declares we need to talk. Having never actually met him this was quite surprising. After agreeing to talk, we head back to my apartment, which is as safe and secure as we can get.

"You lived on Omega, correct?" Garrus states.

"For a while, yes. Tea?" I ask, pouring a cup and offering it to him. He thanks me and takes the cup.

"How would you like to head back to Omega?" Garrus asks me. He sips the tea and calmly waits for my reply.

I toss the idea back and forth in my mind. Life on the Citadel had its perks. It was quiet, peaceful, and usually nobody tried killing you. However, it was boring as hell and filled to the brim with politics. It's Council this and Council that and Reapers don't exist. Why everybody hangs on to the Council's every word as if they were divine prophets is a mystery to me.

On the other hand, Omega is a hive of scum and villainy. A diseased jellyfish floating among the stars. No solid government, just the Reign of Aria. Cause trouble for her and you'll get beaten and then tossed out an airlock. She and I are on good terms, thankfully and I'm wanting things to stay that way.

Quiet, peaceful, boring life or dangerous, exciting life? I wanted to stay on the Citadel and stay alive, yet the thought of having an adventure with Garrus was the most exciting thing that's happened to me. "You heading to Omega?" I inquire.

"Yes." Garrus replied. Short and to the point. I wonder what it is that made him give up rejoining C-Sec and applying for the Spectres. As if he read my mind, he adds, "C-Sec wasn't working out for me. Too much politics."

"I'll go with you Garrus. Life on the Citadel is too quiet and boring." I reply. We both share a half-hearted laugh. I see it in his eyes, a distant sadness, a great pain. He's still feeling the loss of Shepard, the loss of the Normandy. The loss of so many friends. Granted, _most _of the crew survived. Still, a loss is a loss no matter how you put it.

"There are a few things you should know," Garrus chirps, "we'll be taking on different mercenary bands. Blue Suns, Blood Pack, Eclipse. Omega will be more or less our base of operations. If the occasion calls for it, we'll head off-world." He pauses for a moment, presumably to let me take this all in. I give him a nod and he continues.

"I know you're on good terms with Aria. This might change things. Hope you're okay with that." He studies me for a moment, then takes another sip of tea.

"I don't think Aria will mind if we mess with the mercs. As long as we don't blow up Afterlife or attempt to kill her or her people I think we're okay." A grin crosses my face. "Besides, I've been dying to get off the Citadel, even if that means getting shot at. Which we've both had experience with."

This time, the laughter is not hollow. It's true, we've had our fair share of being shot at; it seems neither of us minds it.

If only I had known what I was getting myself into.

_**One month later**_

An angry krogan is never a good thing; especially when said krogan is charging at you. Even if you're dual wielding M-5 Phalanx pistols with incendiary ammo. The ground trembles beneath my feet, his roars fill my ears with vicious fury, his unyielding determination demanding my blood. He catches fire and doesn't stop; I'm forced to roll out of the way, and he collides into the wall. I keep up my fire, changing thermal clips when I need to.

The blazing krogan turns to me, charging again. The heat coming off him is intense, I nearly turn my head. One shot explodes into his open mouth, sending the krogan to the ground screaming. There is no time to savor my victory as the battle heats up.

More Blood Pack mercenaries were flooding in to the Command Center. "Somebody close the bloody door, we got a draft!" I roar, taking cover. Putting the pistols away I draw out my Matlock and fire. "Keri, how much longer?"

"Two minutes," she replies, her thick French accent cutting through the air, "this isn't as easy as it looks!"

Keri Meriu, medical and explosives expert. Also has some biotic abilities. One of eleven that Archangel has chosen. Born and raised in Paris, France. Blonde hair and emerald eyes. Twenty-seven. Six feet four inches tall. Fourth member Garrus picked up. Currently trying to rig explosives at a Blood Pack weapons storage facility. A large one at that.

"Quit bickering you two and get to work!" Sidonis yells. He takes down three vorcha with ease then focuses on a rather large krogan.

I turn my Matlock on the brute and fire. "I don't need your help Tristan! Concentrate on your own targets!" Sidonis growls.

"Arrogant prick," I mutter. Kingor and Ronan are keeping up a steady stream of fire, taking the heat off us a quite a bit. The salarian twins chuckle as their combined firepower brings down a fresh contingent of vorcha. The presumed leader barks something and more krogan enter the room.

Ignoring the vorcha, I switch to armor piercing ammo and pick a target. Krogan to my right, a Vindicator assault rifle in his hands. My shots charge into his shields and he returns fire. Time crawls by as I do my best to kill him. Not having biotics really sucks.

A warp charge disrupts him as Keri joins the fight. "Done!" she proclaims happily, swinging her sub-machine gun around and opening fire. Our continued fire brings the krogan down and we switch targets. The way out is littered with krogan and vorcha dead. Sidonis is still battling the brute krogan. I can see blood dripping from the krogan and Sidonis plugging away.

The brute lets out a roar and jumps forward, crashing into Sidonis, whose Eviscerator shotgun goes flying. Keri and I train our weapons on the krogan and fire, blasting him back. He stumbles and falls, gets back up, charges, and falls, sliding into Sidonis, who is again knocked to the floor. Sidonis says nothing as he picks up his Eviscerator and begins firing. Once all enemies are dead, we head out.

"Shadow to Camelot, over. What's your status?" Garrus asks over the head-comm.

"Camelot here," I reply, "explosives are in place and we're heading out."

"Any casualties?" he asks.

"None," comes the swift reply. I can hear him give a sigh of relief. "Though I think Iceberg is a little pissed."

"I could have taken that krogan!" Sidonis growls. "Stop calling me Iceberg!"

"That's your code name, deal with it!" I shout. Thankfully Garrus steps in and the conversation is over. There is little resistance as we make our way to the shuttle. Most of the Blood Pack was probably killed in that Command Center. Or the weapons garage. Either way, we're home free in a matter of speaking.

Once aboard the shuttle and heading to orbit, Keri pulls out the remote and blows the facility to kingdom come. The sound of the explosion drowns out the engines for a moment and the shuttle jerks side to side and shakes. Thankfully it stays together.

"Good job people," Archangel says as he debriefs us. "The destruction of that facility should hinder their weapons distribution in the Terminus systems for a long while. Plus, you took out Heikan and a ton of his troops. The Blood Pack is going to need to do a hell of a lot of hiring now."

"So, where next boss?" Kingor asks excitedly. His desire for justice and hatred for mercenaries is to be admired.

"Back to Omega for now. We're rendezvousing with the others back at base and then taking on the Blue Suns. Word is that they've been attempting to kill Dr. Mordin Solus for giving humans shelter at his clinic. I'll be leading a team to hit their base near the Gozu district." He turns to me with a grim look.

"Since the plague doesn't affect humans, you'll be leading Keri and Francis into the Gozu district. Attempt to escort as many humans out of there as possible. Watch out for Blue Suns and more importantly the vorcha, they've been gaining ground that the Blue Suns lost."

"How can the vorcha stay there?" Keri asks. "I thought only humans weren't affected."

"It seems the vorcha are immune as well," Garrus replies, "and they don't care who they kill. Even their own kind, if they're with the Suns."

"So, does this mean I'll _finally _be able to blow something up?" Kingor asks. He's our other demolitions expert, and he's been itching to prove himself. Ronan looks between his twin and Garrus, but says nothing. He rarely speaks, so this isn't a surprise.

"You'll be blowing up many things," Garrus assured him.

The rest of the ride back to base is quiet. All is well.

Our team consists of three humans, two salarians, a batarian, two asari, and three turians, including Garrus.

The other human, Francis, is a specialist in assassination, stealth, and recon. He hails from Eden Prime and was devastated when the geth attacked, killing his family. He's thirty-two years old, five feet seven inches tall, light auburn hair, hazel eyes, optimistic personality. He, Keri, and I often play poker when we have off time together.

Sidonis is a calm headed, arrogant prick. Close combat weapons specialist. Blood thirsty. Twenty-nine years old. Six feet tall turian who doesn't like me. Has one hell of a right hook; trust me on this.

Kayle is a female turian with attitude. She's an expert at creating diversions spreading false information. Prefers to use the Vindicator assault rifle. Thirty-three years old. Tallest member of our group standing at seven feet two inches tall. Often speaks her opinion on anything, no matter what. Thinks low of humans, works with us only because of her respect for Garrus; old friend of his.

Next up we have the salarian twins, Kingor and Ronan. Kingor is four feet tall and former member of the Special Tasks Group. Bright green skin. Twenty-five years old.

Ronan is our linguistic and hand-to-hand specialist. Like his twin, he has bright green skin and is a former member of the Special Tasks group. Four feet nine inches tall. Quiet personality, prefers to be alone or with his twin. We have a mutual respect for each other.

Then there's Krull, our batarian. Hacking specialist. Sarcastic. The only batarian I've met who is friendly. Thirty-seven years old. Five feet eight inches tall. Note: never challenge him to a drinking contest. Just ask Sidonis, or anybody who watched their competition. Yeah, stories are going to be told about that for a _long _time. A good friend.

Nelia, an asari biotic specialist. Extremely powerful. Two hundred ninety years old. Six feet three inches tall, piercing ocean blue eyes. Determined to be the best biotic in the galaxy, follows orders without a second thought. Enjoys learning about human culture.

Shayida is almost the complete opposite of Nelia. An asari weapons specialist. Loves guns; to put one in her hands is to make her extremely happy. One hundred and seventy-five years old. Five feet eight inches tall, light cyan eyes. The only thing she shares with Nelia besides their species is a love of learning about human culture.

Garrus, of course, is our leader and sniping specialist. Part of the team that took Saren down. We all respect him. Works on calibrations for the base's guns from time to time.

As for me? I'm the relations specialist. I keep the authorities off our backs and bickering among the team to a minimum. I get us supplies and set up a network of informants. I'm also second in command, something some of the non-human members resent. Still, I do my best to make friends. In the heat of battle, we don't have room for resent or dissent among our ranks. We need to be one coherent unit, a force to be reckoned with that disrupts the criminal and mercenary elements within the Terminus System. The flame that will wipe this System clean of crime once and for all. No matter how long it takes.

_**Three days later**_

As Garrus leads Kingor, Nelia, Kayle, and Sidonis into the Blue Suns base, Keri, Francis, and I sneak into the Gozu district. We go door to door checking for signs of human life. None. Either they've been evacuated to Mordin's lab, left the district, or have been killed.

The seventh house yields a nasty surprise. The vorcha kind. We quickly deal with them before moving on. No doubt the gunfire has alerted the Blue Suns to our presence. Sure enough, a squad of four batarians comes rushing around a corner as we enter the next building. Thankfully, they didn't see us. I lift my Matlock, Keri raises her Tempest, and Francis heads upstairs to get a vantage point from which to snipe. "Wait until they come out, then take the Legionnaire out Francis. Keri, toss a concussion grenade before opening fire."

"Search the area! Whoever killed them has to be around here somewhere!" the Legionnaire ordered.

The door opens, they step out, Keri tosses a grenade as Francis and I open fire. The Legionnaire's head disappeared in a cloud of blood as the other three scattered. I manage to get one of them in the arm before their shields raise. The flash of Vindicator rifles, of flaring shields and the screams of the dying fill my senses. The fight is over in minutes, the last batarian being warped by Keri and simultaneously being blasted by Francis and me.

"The coast is clear," Francis reports. "Orders?"

"Get back down here, we're heading out." I reply. The stench of the dead fills my nostrils and I nearly puke. For the first time, I notice the stench in this district. Decaying bodies left by the disease or the result of the slaughters that have happened I don't know. From the looks on their faces, Keri and Francis have noticed this.

"Are you going to be alright Tristan?" Keri asks. "You look ill."

"If you're not feeling well," Francis adds, "we can pull out. He'll understand."

"No, it's this place. If we return here, let's bring filtration masks. The stench is putrid," I state, "besides, we haven't found any humans. Yet. Let's get at least one before we go."

Keri and Francis give me a thumbs up, but still look concerned. The sooner we're out of here, the better. I have a slight headache now. Well, as long as they're still feeling well, I'll be fine.

We pick up thermal clips from the batarians before moving on. Advancing slowly, we turn the corner the Blue Suns came from. Other than a few vorcha corpses, it's empty. The stench and my headache are getting worse. I have a feeling the further we go in, the worse they're going to get.

Deeper in we go, encountering few vorcha and a couple of Blue Suns patrols. No humans. "Looks like if there are any humans in this district, they're in Mordin's lab." Keri states calmly.

I'm about to give the order to leave when a little girl, no older than four, runs out from a doorway and hug my left leg. The fear in her eyes is evident. "Don't worry little one," I say, slinging my rifle over my shoulder, "we'll get you to safety. I promise."

She looks up at me, her dark blue eyes filled with tears. I kneel down and pick her up, hugging her to my chest. "Everything's going to be alright," I try to reassure her. She nestles into my chest, against the cold steel of my armor. Turning to Keri and Francis, I declare "we're done here. Let's get this little girl out and head back to base."

If only fate was so kind as to give us a break. We run into a Blue Suns patrol; one with backup. Two Legionnaires, one Centurion, and seven regular troops. We duck into cover, Keri warping the Centurion's shields, which flare and die. Francis takes the chance and kills the Centurion before the rest of them know what happened.

"Humans!" one of them roars. The little girl in my arms starts to squirm, scared, as if she wants to run. She probably does, but I hold on to her; if I let her go, she'll probably try to run.

The battle rages around us and I wait. Wait for Keri or Francis to say the coast is clear, wait for the guns to stop, wait for a chance to get everybody out of here. Time slows to a crawl as I'm lost in the furor of battle. More gunfire, more screams, more death. To think I once had a peaceful life on the Citadel. Not that I'm complaining.

A luck shot flings Keri's Tempest from her hands. "Keri, take my Matlock. Hurry!" She reaches over, takes the rifle off my back, and resumes firing as if nothing happened. "How many left?"

"Three," Keri shouts, "One Legionnaire and two troops… where'd Francis go?"

Looking around, I see that Francis has disappeared. He's not lying on the ground or firing from the balcony above us. Maybe he got hit and is out cold. There's no time to wonder where he went. The sounds of an explosion and screams rise up in a horrifying chorus. "Only the Legionnaire is remaining!" Keri informs me. She ducks down to reload and the batarian gasps.

Peering out from behind cover I see the Legionnaire fall and Francis standing with a bloody knife. "Thought you had been hit!" I gasp.

He grins, cleans the knife, and puts it away. "Never going to happen." Francis jokes. "I'm a ninja after all!"

The three of us share a laugh and move out, Keri having reclaimed her Tempest. My Matlock rests on her back.

"Okay team, through the ventilation shaft!" I order. They put their weapons away and climb in. I put the little girl in then climb up. We're finally heading out of this hellhole.

Arriving on the other side, we head back to base. The little girl clings to me, refusing to let go. We can't just leave her here on Omega. I'll see that she finds a nice family. Another explosion from behind us, but we can't feel it. Garrus and the others must have finished their job. "You guys done?" I ask.

Nothing but static over the comms. "Garrus, was that you? Garrus?"

Again, static. I've got a bad feeling in my gut, but we have our orders. "Let's head home."

Ronan, Shayida, and Krull are waiting for us. As per Garrus' orders, there will always be three people defending the base. We'll switch out so that everybody gets to fight. After getting food and water for the little girl, we wait.

It's not long before Garrus and the others return, bruised but intact. I quickly debrief him on what happened and we find a family for the little girl. A family I knew on the Citadel; kind, caring, loving, unable to have children for biological reasons. She's everything they ever wanted and more; she'll be in good hands.

The rest of the month passes by with little incident. The Blue Suns and Blood Pack look like they might start a gang war on Omega; the Suns are weakened by the plague and might be swept from Omega by the Blood Pack.

We continued disrupting the criminal element on Omega. The Eclipse band tried setting up a trap for us but we turned the tables on them. A shipment of hallucinogenic drugs belonging to the Eclipse went "missing" a week later.

Raids on drug deals, factories, various operations caused an uproar. Not only on Omega, but through the Terminus Systems. Garrus was labeled Archangel by the criminals of Omega and has taken that as his code name. Our success continues, or trust in each other grows stronger.

Hell, even _Kayle_ has lightened up. Kayle, the human hating, over the top serious, stuck up turian. She's not that bad once you get to know her. This is more than just a group of vigilantes; this is a family.

Which is why we never saw what was coming.


	3. The Betrayal

**Disclaimer: I don't own Mass Effect. A big thank you to everyone whose read, whose favorited, whose who reviewed! Since I won't be posting another chapter until after the upcoming holiday… Happy Thanksgiving everybody!**

Omega is a beehive that has been shaken to its core. Furious at being shaken, the criminals are taking things up a notch. Tighter security at their hideouts, during their operations; they're scared. Nobody has dared to challenge them like this before. Nobody has made as big a dent in their operations as us.

During our downtime, we clean our weapons, chat with each other, hang out. Wake up in the morning, take showers, eat breakfast, then if we have a mission, a debriefing. We get closer, our bonds with each other growing. We've dropped all code names, except for Archangel.

Take Keri for example. When we met nearly six months ago, she and I could barely stand each other. We grew to trust each other, then love each other. Francis swears he saw this coming a long way off. Garrus approves, so long as we don't lose sight of our mission.

Kayle's had a change of heart about humans. She considers us worthy allies that she's proud to serve with. Or at least examples that humans can be worthy allies. Not quite sure. She's more open to the rest of the group too.

For the past two and a half months, Krull has been learning how to play poker. He's getting quite good at it. The others watch occasionally, much to our amusement. Everyone's taken an interest in our games. Should mention that Francis is the one teaching Krull, I'm not that good.

Kingor and Ronan are nearly the same, minus the feeling Kingor had to prove himself. Everybody's come to accept that Ronan is just naturally withdrawn. He doesn't speak much and we don't try to force him.

Sidonis is acting weird. He's nervous, keeps losing his cool in the heat of battle. Twitches at the slightest sound. Eyes dart everywhere. Garrus assures me that everything is alright. There's a feeling I can't shake, but I put my trust in Garrus.

Shayida is recovering from wounds received last month during a raid on a Blue Suns transport ship. Her left leg is covered in bandages and she's missing two fingers on her left hand. We might have to let her go. She swears she can still fight; she's held a gun but hasn't fired one since the mission. Keri is tending to her daily.

Nelia has changed the most. She's no longer the rage fueled tornado that she was when we started; she's learned to control her rage. After all, she nearly killed an innocent family that got caught up in a raid on Omega's industrial district. Garrus forbid her from going on missions until she sorted herself out. In the end, I'm glad to say she stayed.

As for Garrus, he's been disturbed recently. There's been news that Shepard has been sighted, and he's working for Cerberus. Apparently a reporter, Emily Wong, interviewed him on the Citadel and numerous people have cited the Normandy bearing the symbol of Cerberus.

Maybe Ms. Wong was wrong; hopefully all those who saw the Normandy were wrong. Why would Shepard be working with Cerberus? He was Alliance, not human extremist. Plus, he was the first human Spectre; it can't be possible. Unless he was brainwashed, or blackmailed.

I don't worry about that though. Every time I think about it, Keri's there to calm my mind, to soothe my worries. It doesn't matter what happens, we'll have each other.

Currently, everyone, except for Garrus, is gathered around Kayle, listening to her tell a story on how she and a handful of turian snipers held off a geth raid on Echeel IV. Echeel IV is a large planet, out on the edges of turian space. They have a small military academy there, situated in the middle of rolling plains and calm lakes.

"So, the last flashlight head turns towards me with its rifle raised. I sidestep, take the rifle out of its arms, and blast it to oblivion," Kayle exclaims. "I kept the rifle as a trophy. Got promoted to Captain."

"Where's the trophy now?" Krull asked. "Do you still have it?"

"Yes, but it's at my house on Palaven." Kayle replied. "I'll have to get it someday, see if the thing still works."

"Ahem," Garrus says while clearing his throat. "We've got a mission. The Eclipse gang have a small factory hidden in the lower bowels of Omega that they're using to manufacture deadly hallucinogenic drugs. It's located in an old warehouse on the west side of the industrial district. The only way into or out of the base is a bridge that spans over Omega's garbage dump. Bring masks, place is going to smell like hell."

"So, whose going and whose staying?" Francis asked.

"We're all going. Jaroth is having a meeting with Tarak of the Blue Suns and Garm of the Blood Pack. They'll have bodyguards and are the main targets. We get these three at once in a decisive strike. In the aftermath, with a large void in their command structure, they're sure to break down and fight for leadership. Members are going to have to take sides. In short, a civil war will erupt among all three gangs and then we can mop up the rest in a month or two."

"Cut the head off the snake and the body's not dangerous," I reply, gaining a few confused looks from my teammates. "Sorry, old expression."

Kingor's eyes were alight with a brilliant flame as he thought this over. "This is going to require lots of explosives, right!"

"Yes, we'll be blowing the base after we eliminate the three heads. That way they won't be able to reuse said base, or if they do, it'll take them a while to rebuild."

"What about me?" Shayida asks. "I know I'm recovering, but I can fight! Not to mention I'm _walking_, unlike last week!"

Everybody's quiet as Garrus considers what she says. We all knew how badly she wanted to jump back into the fray, to toss herself at the mercenaries as she had so many times, to feel the adrenaline pumping through her veins as she makes kill after kill. Being off of duty for nearly a month has really made her irritable.

"Alright," Garrus says, "you've been cooped up in here _way _too long. You're back on duty."

"Yes!" Shayida shouted. She was _finally _able to fight again.

The rest of us exhale in relief. Who knows what she would have done if Garrus had said no? Maybe the mercenaries will go home once they catch wind that she's on her way.

"Team, be ready in fifteen." Garrus orders. We acknowledge and prepare. Guns are loaded, extra thermal clips and grenades are packed. Armor is donned and shields flare to life. We're quiet, not a word to be said. What can be said?

This is the most rewarding, yet most dangerous assignment we've ever had. How many will make it back, how many will die? Will we come out battered, bruised, but alive? Or will we all perish? The risk was high, but no price was too high to free Omega, and the Terminus Systems, from crime. Taking out the big three, the Blood Pack, the Blue Suns, the Eclipse, is going to greatly reduce the crime in this sector and make our job easier.

Keri wraps her arms around me and plants a kiss on my lips. "You shouldn't worry so much. Everything's going to be fine." The tone in her voice indicates that she's trying to convince herself as well. She leans into me, nestling her head on my right shoulder, and sighed. "_We'll _make it out of this."

I smile as I hold her, and for a moment our worries disappear. All the crime fighting, all the long hours locked in combat and even longer hours nursing wounds. The near death escapades we've made, the gangs, it all disappears. For the single, peaceful moment, it's just us.

Alas, no moment lasts forever. "Team," Garrus orders, "move out!"

We detach, pick our weapons up, and head out. Citizens duck out of the way, eyes wide as we pass by. After reaching our transports and a quiet ride, we arrive in the industrial district. As soon as we land, we're off, running towards the west end.

Parking at the other side served a purpose; the mercs hopefully wouldn't see us coming. At least, not from the air. The downside is we have to run across the industrial district to get there and then back to our transports.

We're halfway across when we run into a collection of Blood Pack and Blue Suns. Krogan, vorcha, batarians, and humans turn their heads as we open fire. Within moments they are all dead or fleeing and we head on. Soon, our location is in site, the small factory. Which begs to wonder what Garrus calls small. This behemoth towers over the rest of the buildings, a giant among ants. "Small, Garrus," I remark, "I'd hate to see what you call large."

Garrus is about to reply when Sidonis comes in over the comm system. "I've found Jaroth! Repeat, I've found Jaroth." Gunfire can be heard in the background.

"Where are you?" Garrus asks. "How'd you get separated from us?"

"I chased down a couple of those mercs we ran into. Led me straight to him! I can't hold for long, though!" Sidonis replies hastily.

"Want us to double back and get him?" Kayle asks. Garrus shakes his head.

"No. I'll go back and get him; we'll kill Jaroth and rendezvous with you in the factory." He turns, focusing on me. "Tristan, you'll lead the team. The meeting is supposed to be in the center of the factory, near the Command Room. If the others are there, feel free to open fire."

"If they aren't there?" I ask.

"Set up a trap. Hide a few mines, set up crossfire positions, and make the kill when you can. There's not many people operating this factory, so disposing of them should be easy. Hide the bodies though, don't want to alert them if they aren't there." Garrus shakes his head and looks at us in turn. One can only wonder what is going through his mind.

"Good luck everybody." Garrus states, then runs off to save Sidonis.

Everybody turns their attention to me and I come up with a plan. "Francis, Shayida, I'll need you to stay out here. Climb to the top of that building," I order, pointing to a medium sized warehouse a few feet back. "Use your snipers and don't open fire until I give the order."

"The rest of us are going in through the front door. We'll make our way to the Command Center taking out any opposition we come across. If they're already here, no doubt they'll hear the gunfire and rush to fight us. Move fast, move quick, don't go into small rooms. Try to stay in very open areas."

"Have you seen the size of this thing?" Krull asks. "I doubt we'll have a hard time finding open areas."

"Just be careful, alright?" My voice is dripping with concern and doubt. Something was off. Large factory, little resistance. Less of them means easier fighting for us; however, if it's a trap and they use guerilla tactics… I don't want to think about it. Guerilla tactics aren't unheard of out here, but they aren't common either.

Francis opens his mouth to say something, but closes it. I can tell he wants to object, but if this is a trap, there is no better sniper other than Garrus in the galaxy to have our backs. Shayida is great with a sniper, if a bit trigger happy. They've made a great sniping pair before. Silently, they begin their climb.

The rest of us cross the bridge, swing the doors open and rush in. No enemies in sight. Descending deeper into the belly of the beast we encounter no resistance. The hairs on the back of my neck are standing up. "Where the hell is everybody?" I ask quietly. "Francis, Shayida, report in."

Static cackles in my left ear before Francis speaks up. "Nothing, looks like nobody's home. They could be at the meeting."

"Or it could be a trap." Ronan speaks up. A rare moment indeed.

A few of us nod nervously. "Everybody, back out. Now." I command, getting a few glances. "Operation aborted, acknowledge."

Nine voices chant "acknowledged" at the same time. A series of low chuckles echoes from somewhere in the factory. We turn and run, making sure everybody gets out. The sound of many armored footsteps behinds us nearly makes me panic. There's far more than we were told. Dozens of mercs by the sound of it.

We make it out, closing the doors behind us and run across the bridge. Until then, I never noticed how high the piles of trash were. We could jump off the bridge, try to hide among the trash. Turn the tables and spring a trap on them. We could take cover on the other side, among the buildings, and fight it out. The last option is to take our explosives and blow the bridge so they can't get us. We'll be able to live and fight another day.

"Tristan, status report!" Garrus barks over the comm.

"It was a trap, Archangel! We've got dozens of mercs here! We're aborting! I repeat, we're aborting!" Gunfire from behind makes me stop and turn. "Get into cover! Archangel, get here quickly as possible!"

The first mercanaries out are Blood Pack krogans and vorcha. Behind them, Blue Suns Legionaries and Centurions, both human and batarian. In the rear were regular Eclipse troops, no distinction to tell what race they are.

The Eclipse troops spread out on the ledges among the side of the factory and open fire. The Blue Suns Legionaries and Centurions spread out across the bridge and kneel. The Blood Pack krogans charge, the vorcha right behind them.

"Open fire!" I roar. Biotic powers rip into shields and plasma decimates armor and flesh. Kayle and Ronan toss concussion grenades and fragmentation grenades into the oncoming krogans. Some of them are dazed, some are hurt, none are unaffected.

We pour all our fire into the krogans except for Francis and Shayida, who concentrate on the Eclipse mercs. Each shot from their snipers ends the life of an Eclipse trooper, which relieves the pressure on us. Strangely, the Blue Suns haven't done anything.

Krogans fall, others charge and topple over their dead. Vorcha jump over the corpses, joining their fellow mercenaries. Only two krogan make it across the bridge and are quickly dealt with. Maybe we overestimated the number of mercenaries. It's only then I realize how many Blue Suns there are. They by far have the largest amount of mercenaries. They divide their fire while slowly advancing. Plasma passes by so close it singes the hair on my cheeks. Holes tear open the metal walls we've hidden behind, the metal shrieking violently. Centurions and Legionnaires fall, only to be replaced. If we hadn't packed a ton of extra ammo, we'd be out of luck. Fortunately, we've brought enough for the whole party. Still, they advance, like a ravenous pack of wolves on the hunt.

Over the chaotic symphony of our battle, Nelia yells for Kingor to pass her the explosives. She primes them, sets the timer for thirty seconds, straps them to her back, throws up a biotic barrier, steps out, and charges with a furious battle cry. The sound is painful to our ears; even the Blue Suns seem stunned by this. "Nelia, no!" Shayida cries.

None of us can do anything but watch as she runs, her biotic barrier flickering every step of the way. Watch as she uses every ounce of her remaining strength to vault into the air and into the middle of the Blue Suns. She's dead before she reaches the ground, her body riddled with plasma fire. Watch as the explosives go off, obliterating the remaining Blue Suns mercs and the bridge on which they stood. Watch as the piles of trash catch fire, creating bellowing pillars of smoke.

We've no time to mourn as we run from the blazing inferno, from the smoke that's threatening to choke us to death. Even now we feel the heat of the flames, smell the putrid stench of the smoke. Nothing can clear our minds as we run, only to find Eclipse mercs waiting for us. In our rage, we bowl through them, tearing them apart with biotic powers, scorching their bodies with plasma, Ronan getting in close and, after a brutal fistfight, breaking the neck of the mercenary foolish enough to engage him. A couple of rounds burst through my shields, tear open my armor and scrape my lower abdomen.

A sudden _shink_ and a scream. One of the mercs got in close with Kingor, who now has a jagged knife sticking in his gut. Blood is streaming from his wound, and starting to dribble out of his mouth. The merc wrenches the knife, pulls it out, and aims for Kayle, but is cut down in a hail of plasma fire. Ronan rushes over to his twin, tears streaming from his face. Keri moves to apply med-gel to the wounded.

"No, no, no…" Ronan laments. "Kingor, you can't die. Please." He kneels, grasping his brother by the hand.

We gather around solemnly; I want to grab him and go. "Couldn't we use our med-gel? That has to do something!" Krull exclaims.

Keri shakes her head. "The knife went in too deep. Med-gel would close the wound, but it can't heal the internal damage. We'd only be prolonging the inevitable."

Kingor gasps, trying to say something. He coughs up blood, gazing at his brother one last time. His eyes lose their light, his breaths come to a halt, and Kingor is no more. I grab Ronan's shoulders, muttering, "we have to move, we have to get out of here."

"I won't leave him, I can't!" Ronan refuses.

"He's gone, Ronan! We've got to get out of here, _you've_ got to get out of here! As long as we're alive, he'll live on in our memories! We'll make sure he isn't forgotten, and make the mercenaries pay!" My voice sounds harsh, cruel. "There will be time to mourn, but not now. Do you want to get jumped by a band of…" my voice trails off as we hear footsteps coming towards us. From the sound of it, only one man.

I heave my Matlock and prepare to fire. The rest bring their weapons to bear as the person gets closer. Suddenly, he rounds the corner, and Garrus Vakarian almost gets wiped from the galaxy. "Hold fire!" I order. We lower our weapons, relieved that Garrus is here. "Where's Sidonis?"

"That two faced bastard wasn't there, there wasn't anybody there!" Garrus raged.

We've been betrayed. The shock, the rage, the pain that we feel is evident in everybody's face. Our senses call for blood, for revenge. My voice, strained as it is, give Garrus the bad news. "We… we've lost Nelia and Kingor." I step aside and let him get a glimpse of the fallen salarian.

Behind his helmet, one can only imagine how enraged he is. "Move it! Get to the transports and get back to base!" He turns and takes off; we follow, I'm dragging a struggling Ronan with me. We've taken a beating, and it's starting to show. Bruises, scrapes, gashes and dents in armor. I've noticed that Shayida and Krull are limping.

Keri… she's got a nasty gash running across her left cheek. Ronan's face is bruised from his fistfight with the Eclipse merc. Kayle has dents running across her armor. Francis' armor has cuts all along his arms and shoulders. Garrus is seemingly untouched.

As for me? I've got a hole in the lower left of my chest plate, the skin underneath is broken, congealed blood drying near the opening of the wound. Every step I take stings, but I can't falter now.

We reach our destination and load up into our transports, air cars that we've converted into mobile troop transports, more or less. The ride back to base is tense. One of our own has betrayed us, leading to the death of two others. We'll find Sidonis and make him pay. That's an unspoken promise.

After returning the vehicles to our landing spot, we run as fast as we can back to our hidden base. "Plan?" I ask.

"We get our stuff and get out of here. Sidonis probably gave the mercenaries the location of our base. Make it quick."

We're done gathering our things when we hear footsteps coming down the corridor to our base. "Seal off all entrances!" Garrus orders.

The doors at the end of the corridor closest to us slams shut, but only halfway. "It's jammed!" Krull reports. No time to fix it!"

The rest of the doors leading to the lower levels lock shut. Garrus is already on the upper floor, surveying the corridor with the scope of his M-29 Mantis. "Looks like they're setting up barricades," Garrus remarks, "expect an attack soon!"

Francis, Shayida, and Keri head to the top to help out Garrus while the rest of us wait on the bottom floor, guns aimed and ready. Broken glass covers the floor near where windows used to be, the openings now filled with guns.

Unsurprisingly, the first wave is Blood Pack. Not many krogan, mostly vorcha, which are cut down with ease. "Next wave's going to get a big surprise!" Krull exclaimed happily.

Turrets pop out in front of the base, and along the front wall facing the corridor, targeting systems ready for anything that comes our way.

Another wave appears, this time freelancers. I barely notice the recoil as my Matlock churns out bullets that tear through them. Turrets open fire and push the mercenaries back, who then fall.

Some mercs take pot shots from behind the partially closed door as others charged, all of them turret fodder. _Blump, blump, _goes the pop of two rocket propelled grenades. An explosion, and three turrets are out of commission. Okay, maybe two rockets. Either way, the mercenaries seem to be getting smarter.

Two more rockets are fired, and they slam against the wall, decimating some of the wall side turrets. A wild yell erupts from down the corridor and more freelancers jump the barrier. This time, they have shields. Some nearly make it to our base, but are stopped by our wall of gunfire.

So the battle goes, mercs jumping our makeshift barrier, the halfway closed door, and rushing us. A shot wizzes past my head; any closer and I would have been a goner. The _pip_ of sniper fire is barely heard among the roar of assault rifles, sub-machine guns, pistols, screams.

The last of the turrets are annihilated by combined heavy assault rifle fire and the freelancers get bolder. More of them jump the barrier, more of them fall, more of them nearly reach our base. Empty thermal clips like next to broken shards of glass, dead bodies and blood litter the path in front of the base.

The _whirring_ of engines is heard and Garrus warns us of an assault ship. Machine gun fire is heard from upstairs, and fear grips my heart. "Keri!" I whisper. I'm about to head upstairs when I hear more mercs charging and the others unload mercilessly upon them. I'm torn between helping Keri or helping the others.

"Tristan! Get over here!" Kayle yells. Beyond her I see the mercs advancing. I can't let them get inside the base, no matter the cost. I return to my window and open fire. They're getting closer, I can see the fury in their eyes, the hopes that they'll be the ones to kill us. Humans, salarians, drell, batarians, even a few turian freelancers. All charging into our fire.

A small explosion is heard and the gunship moves away, leaving a trail of smoke in its wake. The remaining mercs seem disheartened by this but continue their assault. A grenade is tossed and makes it in a window.

We run for cover and it goes off. I see Kayle get enveloped in the explosion, a silent scream escaping her mouth. She's flung backwards and lands on the ground with a _thud_. We're disorientated from the blast, but we somehow manage to return to our windows and continue firing. Ronan abandons his window and moves to where Kayle was, and is promptly jerked out of it by Kayle herself. "I'm not done yet," she manages to get out. Her armor is charred and a large chunk is missing from her right side, blood pooling out. She brings out a M-6 Carnifex and opens fire. She's dying of blood loss, but that doesn't stop her from bringing down a few mercs.

Kayle's breath is labored now, but the same fury is in her eyes, the flame that is her desire to survive, to kill the mercs, burns brightly; however, it's fading.

A temporary break in the fighting comes sooner than we expected. "We win?" Kayle asks weakly.

"We're winning," I reply. Her eyes are closing and her breaths are slow and heavy. She slumps to the ground, dropping the pistol. "Hang in there, this should help."

I move to apply the some med-gel and Kayle grabs my wrist, stopping me. "It's been an honor serving with all of you," she chokes out, opening her eyes.

"The honor has been ours, Kayle," Ronan, Krull, and I reply. Again, Kayle's eyes close, as her head rolls to the left, and she dies.

"Rest in peace," I whisper, placing a hand on her bloodied chest plate. I then put the med-gel away, storing it for later.

"They got Shayida too." Keri informs me. She's standing on the stairs, eyes filled with tears. Seeing her alive brings warmth and joy to my heart, and a small smile makes its way cross my face. Keri returns the smile.

"Everyone," Garrus shouts, "get up here! It's Shepard!"

We rush upstairs and over to where Garrus stands. Garrus hands me his sniper and I take a look. Sure enough, there he is, dark orange hair and blue eyes sticking out from the other mercs. To his sides are two people.

They're both human. One has raven black hair, and is wearing a black and white outfit. The other one I recognize easily. It's Zaeed. "Well, it seems he's bringing the cavalry." I hand the sniper back to Garrus. "Orders?"

"Stay up here," he replies, "fire on the freelancers, but don't hit Shepard or any of his group! Take shots if you need to, but miss, understand?"

We all nod and I notice that another wave is over the barricade. One question running through my mind is _how did Shepard know we needed help? _He could answer that later. Thankfully, we're loaded to the brim with thermal clips and wont' be running out of ammo anytime soon.

One merc staggers forward and gets a hole blown through him by Garrus. I kill a few mercs to Shepard's left, making sure not to hit him. Various mercs open fire, giving some of their comrades enough time to get into the base, along with Shepard.

Gunfire from behind and below alerts us to a fight downstairs. The few remaining stragglers are being mopped up as Shepard and his crew enter. He walks forward as if to talk to Garrus, but he holds up one finger, turns to the window, and kills a merc with a headshot.

"Archangel?" Shepard asks. Archangel sits down and takes off his helmet. "Garrus Vakarian! Is that you?" Shepard exclaims. Well, this reunion is going well.

For the first time in a long time, Garrus smiles. "Long time no see Shepard."

"How have you been?" Shepard inquires.

"Good," Garrus replies. "What about you, last I heard you were dead."

"I was, that's a story for another time." Shepard replies. "Friends of yours?"

Garrus replies, pointing to each of us as he introduces us. "This is Keri, our explosives and medical expert. Over there is Krull, our hacking specialist. Damn good drinker too." Laughter echoes through the room and Shepard raises an eyebrow. "Ronan is our hand to hand combat specialist. He's taught us all a few moves. Francis here is our stealth specialist. He's also, what's the human term again, a ninja?" Another round of laughter. "Tristan is my second in command and relations expert."

"It couldn't be. Tristan, the bounty hunter who helped me hunt down batarian crime lord Brunkel, is it?" Zaeed exclaims.

"Long time no see Zaeed," I reply. He extends a hand and I shake it. "We've got a lot of catching up to do."

The lady introduces herself as Miranda Lawson. I notice the Cerberus symbol on the neck of her suit but say nothing. If she works for Shepard, I guess she can be trusted.

Eclipse mercs jump over the barrier, followed by a YMIR Mech. "The mech isn't going to be a problem," Shepard states. Personally, I think he's crazy if he thinks the mech is going to be easy. However, I'm surprised when the mech opens fire on the band of Eclipse mercs as the battle resumes.

It's a bit crowed up here, but we make the best of it. Keri, Krull, and I take to guarding the stairs in case some of them manage to get through. None do. Soon, the base shakes as the mech explodes with a deafening _boom_. A few more shots are exchanged, and the gunfire stops.

"We got Jaroth," Garrus informs us. As he says this, a smaller explosion rocks the base. "They've infiltrated the lower levels!"

Shepard takes Zaeed and Miranda to close the shutters while the rest of us take their places. The area in front of us is littered with corpses, but that doesn't stop the Blood Pack from launching an assault. vorcha and krogan charge, guns blazing. We return fire and the battle comes to a standstill. The vorcha are dropping like flies, but the krogans are unwavering. Sure, some of them have died, some have been wounded, but still they advance. Krull and I head downstairs to head off a couple of krogans who made it past our defenses.

Firing from our perch on the stairs, I nail one in the head but he keeps coming. A few more rounds to the head and he drops, and the other krogan opens fire with a shotgun. Thankfully, the krogan is a horrible shot and our combined firepower finishes him off.

"It's Garm!" Garrus yells while getting off shots. "Get up here!"

By the time we reach the window, Garm has gotten out of range. "He's in the base!" Garrus states.

"Thank you very much captain obvious!" I reply, voice dripping with sarcasm.

His footsteps shake the floor as he ascends the stairs. He's a brute of a krogan, but that doesn't stop us from firing at him. Shots collide with his armor as he reaches the top, as he charges into the room bellowing.

"Archangel!" Garm screams. He charges again, and Garrus ducks out of the way. Garm staggers as we begin to hit flesh. "To coward to face me alone!"

His insult falls on deaf ears. We all know Garrus faced off with Garm before, and would have won if not for the arrival of his mercenaries. Garm bellows again and charges, this time at _me_. I barely have room to maneuver. I hear his scream as he rams into me, sending me flying against the wall. It's getting hard to breathe.

My eyelids get heavy, and I see him fall.

Then my world goes black.

**Again, have a Happy Thanksgiving everybody! I'll try to have the next chapter up this weekend, so you can find out the fates of Keri, Francis, Ronan and Krull!**


	4. The Normandy

**Disclaimer: I don't own Mass Effect. Thanks for the review and the subscriptions everybody! I hope everybody had a great Thanksgiving! Sorry bout not updating when I said I would, but with college finals I had to put this on hold. Now that Finals are almost done, and college soon out for Christmas break, I'll definitely have more time to write!**

The smell of chloroform hits my nostrils like a wave crashing upon a beach. I inhale deeply and exhale. My lungs haven't been damaged, and I try opening my eyes.

Simply, bad idea. Who the hell decided to place a miniature sun directly in front of my face? I raise my right arm to shield my eyes and pain rips through me. I gasp and my arm falls. I try to sit up, but strong hands push me down.

"Easy there, you've been out for nearly nine hours. You're lucky to be alive. I'm Dr. Chakwas, and you're in the medical bay on the _Normandy SR-2_."

Her voice is calm, soothing, filled with authority. "Your ribs are bruised, you've got minor lacerations along your shoulder blades; if you didn't have your armor it would have been way worse."

"Why can't I open my eyes?" I ask, worried.

"Your eyes are adjusting to the light. Give it a few minutes, then _slowly_ open them." Chakwas instructs me.

"What happened?" I ask. "How many of us made it?"

A sharp intake of breath. Not good. "I'm not sure I'm the one to tell you that." Chakwas replies sadly.

"Doctor, please," I plead, "tell me. What happened? Did we lose anybody else?"

A couple of minutes pass. Nothing. All I hear are her footsteps fading away, the opening and closing of a door. I open my eyes to confirm what I'm thinking. The doctor is, indeed, gone. _Great,_ I think, _I scared her away._

I stare at the door, and try sitting up. My ribs scream at me for being an idiot, but I work through the pain and sit upright. Through the windows across from me I see activity in what I suspect is the mess hall. The crew of the _Normandy_ is nowhere to be seen, save for a man leaning behind a counter.

I turn my head as I hear the door open and Garrus steps through, with the lady I assume to be Chakwas behind him. Garrus looks like he's been through hell. Part of his armor is missing, charred, or scarred. He looks like someone took a scalpel to the right side of his face and began tearing away pieces of skin and flesh. "Good to see you up, Tristan," Garrus states.

"I thought I told you to take it easy," Chakwas scolds, "you should be lying down."

"This is easy," I reply.

"Easier then," Chakwas retorts.

"Don't worry doctor, I'm going to be taking it easy." Turning my attention to Garrus, I take a deep sigh and get back to what's important. "What happened to our team? Did anybody else make it?"

Garrus' look is one of pain and, yet, happiness. "We lost Ronan, and Krull was badly wounded, but he'll live. Francis has a broken leg, and Keri…" his voice drops off. My gut, and my heart, sink.

"She's been worried sick about you. Had to drag her away myself so she would get some rest. Keri, Francis, and Krull are sleeping right now. Once Keri and Francis are awake, they'll be informed that you're up."

"What about Krull?" I ask, concerned.

Garrus says nothing but points past me. I turn and observe the batarian on the bed next to me. Krull's left arm is in a cast, there are burn marks across his face, and there's a bloody patch covering his left eyes. Scars run across his face and uncovered skin.

"Tarak came at us with his gunship. Launched a few missiles. Krull and I got caught in an explosion and he got the worst of it. I woke up a few hours ago."

"What are we going to do?" I inquire. "Where do we go from here?"

"Shepard's recruited me to help him stop the attacks on human colonies. He found out it was the Collectors that are making the colonies disappear. If you want, you can join; we've been assured that there's enough space for everybody. If not, we can drop you off anywhere you wish." Garrus folds his hands behind his back and strides forward a little. I notice that Chakwas has left, again. "Personally, I think it'd be best if you stayed. I should tell you though that we're working with Cerberus on this one."

"With them? Why are we working with Cerberus?" I ask dumbfounded.

"They rebuilt the _Normandy _and brought Shepard back to life. They're funding this operation," Garrus states, "and they're okay working with aliens it seems. At least when the Collectors are involved."

"Do you trust them?" I can't help but ask. "After all, what's to keep them from turning on you when this is done?"

"Well, I _was _part of the team that took down Saren. Many of them seem to respect me. Or, at least, they're afraid of what I'll do if they try anything. Surprisingly, most of the crew has been nice to me."

"What do Keri and Francis think?" If they weren't staying, than neither was I.

"They don't know about the mission, yet. Shepard wants to brief all of you himself once Krull wakes up." Garrus continues to observe me for a moment before turning away. "Like Chakwas said, take it easy."

With that, he exits the med bay, and I'm alone again. I lay back down and sleep comes again. This time, it's only for an hour. When I awake, Keri and Francis are standing on either side of me. Keri's gripping my hands, hard, and Francis is leaning on a crutch, silently observing, a small smile on his face.

"Have a nice power nap?" Francis asks as I open my eyes.

"Don't joke like that!" Keri snaps. I squeeze her hands and her tone softens. "We thought we might lose you," Keri whispers. Her eyes are blood red, and her hair is a mess.

"You won't lose me, I promise." Keri lets a smile grace her face as I gaze into her eyes. I sit up, slowly, the pain is somewhat faded. "Is Krull still out?"

"No, you guys are way too loud." Krull replies. "Where are we?"

"The _Normandy_," I reply.

Chakwas walks over and Francis steps out of the way. "How are you feeling, Mr. Krull?"

"Sore." The batarian replies. "Otherwise, I'm fine. What's with the patch?"

"The patch is a medi-gel distribution packet that focuses on burns." Chakwas purses her lips for a moment then continues. "You'll need a new patch in twelve hours. The second one will be worn for ten hours, then removed. You'll have burn scars around your eyes, possibly for life. You _should _have full use of your eyes."

"Thank you, doctor…" Krull trails off.

"Chakwas, and no thanks is needed. I'm a doctor after all." Chakwas replies professionally. "Also, you've got a broken arm. Thankfully the broken bones are healing well; with the applied medi-gel and marrow suppliments, your bones should heal in a couple of days."

"Will I be able to walk?" Krull asks.

"Yes." Chakwas replies.

"In fact," I cut in, "we should get to seeing what Shepard wants."

In silent agreement, we say good-bye to Chakwas and leave the med-bay. "So… does anybody know where Shepard is?" Francis asks.

"He's in the CIC," a voice replies.

"Who…?" I wonder, looking around.

"That'd be EDI, the ship's AI." Keri answers.

"I'll let Shepard know you're on the way," EDI states.

We enter the elevator, press the CIC button, and have a short ride. When we get there, Shepard is waiting for us. "Follow me," Shepard says. We follow him to what I assume is the briefing room. Once there, he studies us for a moment then turns to me. "How are you holding up?"

"It hurts a little when I walk; the pain is bearable and fading. Hopefully I'll be pain free in a day or so." I reply optimistically.

"Good. Now, let's get down to business." Shepard replies. "As you all have heard, human colonies are disappearing. On the colony of Freedom's Progress, we discovered evidence that suggests that the Collectors are behind the abductions. I'm forming a team; a few members have already been picked, but we could always use more people."

"So Cerberus is fine working with aliens?" Krull asks skeptically.

"This isn't about the advancement of humanity. The Illusive Man, and myself, believe that the Collectors are working for or with the Reapers." Shepard answers. "That means the entire galaxy is at risk. Will you join?"

The four of us look at each other. Krull still seems skeptical, Keri and Francis are considering it, and I'm waiting for their answers. Shepard's cyan blue eyes observe us calmly, his orange hair stretches down to his shoulders. His arms are crossed, and he remains silent.

"Well, I'm in." Francis states. "Reapers or no, if the Collectors are abducting human colonies, they have to be stopped."

"I'm in, so long as Tristan is," Keri says. After what happened on Omega, there was no way we were being separated.

"I'll join you Commander," I add, "let's stop the Collectors."

We turn to Krull. He hasn't said a word, and hand on his chin. "Sidonis is still out there. I'd like to join you, but…"

"…you want to find him." Keri finishes. "We understand."

"The offer will still be there when you're done." Shepard says. "Do what you have to, just leave contact information with someone."

"I'll leave the information with Francis, Keri, Tristan, and Garrus. I'll call when I find him." Krull states. "Then we can make him pay."

Shepard looks concerned for a moment, but the rest of us nod. It is our unspoken promise to each other, that we _will _find Sidonis and he will pay. With his life. "Mind informing me of who Sidonis is?" Shepard asks.

…

"We'll let you know once Krull finds him." Francis tells him.

"Where should we drop you off?" Shepard asks.

"We could drop you off on Illium; one of the most powerful information brokers is there." I inform Krull.

"Who is it?" Krull asks.

"Liara T'Soni." I state informally.

Shepard's eyes open wide and he questions me. "You've talked to Liara?

"Not directly, but she has an assistant that she's used to pass me information from time to time." I reply. "She was an old shipmate of yours wasn't she, Commander?"

"Yes she was," Shepard replied calmly, "Garrus too."

"He talked about you often, Shepard," Keri says. "He said you were the greatest commander he's had the pleasure of serving with."

A smile crossed Shepard's face upon hearing this. "It's great having him back. So, Illium?"

Krull nods, and Shepard dismisses us. "I'll contact Liara's agent and let her know Krull is on the way." I inform the Commander.

Half an hour later, I've contacted Liara's agent and we're underway. "ETA to Illium is four hours and counting," Joker states.

"So, we'll drop Krull off and pay a visit to Liara." Shepard beams. "It'll be good to see her again."

"You should pay a visit to Garrus and let him know where we're going and who we're going to see," I suggest, "after all, the three of you probably have a lot to catch up on."

_**Illium**_

Shepard, Garrus, and Krull depart. Keri, Francis, and I are on deck to say good-bye, not knowing how long it'll be until we see him again. He assures us he'll keep in contact via Garrus, though he's not sure how often he will get messages to us.

Miranda Lawson is acting captain while Shepard is away, Kelly Chambers is the XO. Francis is making friends with Joker; they're currently discussing the Ender's Game/Shadow series, something they both enjoy. Personally, I love those books. Orson Scott Card is amazing!

Keri and I are currently listening to Zaeed tell another one of his stories. "The krogan looks at me and laughs. It's cut short when I land a blow to his face, and he's pissed as hell. Told me he was going to use my skin as a rug when he was done then tried hitting me in the gut. We continued trading blows for a while, neither of us backing down. Finally, he pulls out a knife and goes for my throat. I dodge, unsling Jessie, and fire off a few rounds into his face. I walked away with a limp and a battered armor which I eventually got rid of. The best blacksmith in the galaxy couldn't fix that."

"How many krogan have you gone toe to toe with?" Keri asks stunned. I'm speechless; I've never heard of somebody going toe to toe with a krogan and _winning_.

"Three." Zaeed states. "Each considerably tougher than the last. I should let you two go. Talk more later."

After leaving Zaeed's room, we decide to head to the mess and grab some grub. The food's bland, but I'm not complaining. From what some of the other crew members say, it's not as bad as yesterday's meal, but still tastes like crap. "You get used to it," Staff Sargent Perry informs me.

For a while, it's quiet save for the sound of us eating. Thoughts run through my head, none of them pleasant. I never thought it possible for me to hate a being as much as I hate Sidonis. How could that bastard betray us? We were a team, a family. Now, Nelia, Kingor, Shayida, Kayle, and Kingor are gone. Sidonis is on the run, and Krull is looking for him. Hopefully the search will not be in vain. Hopefully we'll live long enough to make him pay.

I chew the food, the bland taste barely noticed. Who knew green bean casserole could be bland? Clearing my throat, I declare I'm full despite the fact I've only eaten half my meal; if I eat any more, I'm going to be sick.

After handing the meal to Gardner and thanking him, I sit next to Keri, who I notice has barely eaten. "What's wrong, not hungry?" I ask.

"No…" her voice trails off. She's eyeing me, not good. It's like she's trying to figure something out, trying to read my thoughts. "…I thought you'd be starving though. Are you _sure _you're feeling up to walk around the ship?"

"I am fine, at least physically. Emotionally…" I pause, not sure how to describe myself, "I'm a raging volcano inside. I want to hunt Sidonis down, I want _blood_. I want to make him pay for what he's done to us, to our family. I can't stop thinking about it, and it's driving me mad."

I'm shivering with anger when I say this. "I know we have a galaxy to save, Reapers that need to be defeated, but it's there in my mind. It won't leave me alone, it _refuses_ to. It's gnawing at my core, and it scares me. I'm afraid I won't be able to contain it. To make sure I keep my anger and rage in check."

Keri grabs one of my hands and squeezes tightly. "I'll be here to help, so will Francis and Garrus. We're all feeling anger and rage. We can help each other, cause we have each other."

Her words are comforting, but it doesn't quell the raging inferno inside me. I can't wait to get out on a mission, to try and release some of this rage, lest it destroy me from inside.

The sound of armored footsteps exiting the elevator turn our heads and Garrus walks in, a smile on his face. "I didn't know you were talking with Liara." Garrus says.

"Only through her assistant. Did you have a nice visit?" I reply.

"Yes. Didn't catch up much, but it's good to see her again. Well, I'm off to do some more calibrations. Oh, and come talk to me later. Bring Francis."

With that, he walks off towards the main battery. Keri and I exchange glances, wondering what Garrus wants.

"Departing Illium," Joker states over the intercom, "our destination is the prison ship Purgatory. ETA three hours."

Our mission to save the galaxy has only just begun.


	5. Batarians and Politics

**Disclaimer: I don't own Mass Effect. Thanks for the reviews!**

Mining for supplies is never fun, nor is it ever exciting. Except when you happen to find a hidden outpost of batarian slavers and Ymir mechs. Then having to go and level the place while rescuing any prisoners and trying not to get your head shot off in the process. Still, it's nice to get back into the fight.

A rocket soars over my head, blasting the wall behind me into molten slags of metal. Slavers raise Avenger rifles, laying down a thick stream of fire. Off to my left, Miranda curses and uses her biotics to topple the mech next to me. She mouths for me to run, as the mech falls. I heed her advice and run to the next set of cover, crouching over so that I'm harder to hit. For a minute, the world shakes and a deafening boom splits the air. Dust kicks up into the air, spreading outwards before settling again. The cover I slide against protects me from the blast, but the shockwaves knock me off over. Finding my balance, I slowly peek over the cover to see that the batarians rushing forward, as if the explosion didn't faze them.

I draw my Matlock onto the batarian farthest on the left and plug away. His shields flare and die out, and a hole punctures his armor, blood seeping from the middle of his chest. One of his companions turns and tries to dispense medi-gel. His brains spread out behind him, and his friend stares before suffering the same fate. The formation is slowly collapsing; Miranda pours sub-machine gun fire from the right and they move to the left, where I open fire. That's what they get for having a path running straight down the middle of their base.

Shepard's taking his sweet time getting the prisoners free. While Miranda and I create a distraction, Shepard snuck in. If he's been discovered, it would explain why there weren't as many batarians out here as we expected, or maybe there just weren't that many to begin with.

An explosion comes from a building to the left, far down the path. Shepard emerges with armed civilians behind him. By the looks of it, some are Alliance military; others look to be holding a weapon for the first time. The remaining batarians are quickly overrun, and this mission's over.

The prisoners are gathered in the courtyard in front of the base. Thankfully, an Alliance cruiser was in the system and was able to quickly extract them. Rumors about Shepard are about to spread like a wild fire.

As soon as we're back on the Normandy, there's a quick debriefing, then I take a shower. The hot water pounds against my skin like a well welcomed rain. The dirt and dust that have been clinging to my hair and face slowly washes away, leaving clean skin. My muscles are aching, my chest heaving with each intake of breath. My throat is dry and my lungs feel like they've been stepped on. Better than a couple of days ago, when a mission like this would most likely have been the death of me. Note to self, never go to a planet when the temperature is above one hundred degrees Fahrenheit. Ever.

After drying off and donning a fresh pair of clothes, I dump my dirty clothes in the laundry hamper and join the Commander and Miranda in having a very late dinner. Keri is waiting for me there, and I notice Jack talking with Gardner. I'll admit, she scares me. Then again, she scared most of the crew when she came aboard, not intentionally of course. She likes it like that, I guess. This is the first time since she was brought aboard that I've seen her out of her cubbyhole on the lower decks.

I sit next to Keri and she embraces me in a tight hug. "Hungry?" she asks playfully. I pass her a smile before turning to my dish, some sort of roast beef with mashed potatoes and gravy. The meal is a nice surprise; by that, I mean it tastes really good. Guess Gardner isn't such a bad cook after all. During our meal, Shepard and Miranda discuss about picking up a krogan warlord named Okeer. Sounds interesting, but the look from Keri tells me I should back off and rest.

"It should be the next thing we do," Miranda stated, poking at a piece of her meal with her fork. "Building our team would be our best option, Commander. Of course, the decision is up to you."

"It'll consider your suggestion, Miranda," Shepard replies, "but I might go to the Citadel. If I can get the Council to reinstate me as a Spectre, and get their resources, it'd help us greatly."

"Don't forget, Commander," Keri chimed in, "the Council's been trying to deny the Reapers were behind the attack on the Citadel two years ago. If there's any evidence, they've done a great job of hushing it up."

"Security's sure to have tightened in the two years since the Reaper/geth attack. What if they arrest you?" I ask.

"Why would they arrest me?" Shepard replies, giving me a confused stare.

"You've been dead for two years, remember?" I remind him. Not that I need to.

"I could just tell them it was an error. Simple and easy." Shepard states.

"…didn't think about that."

The conversation abruptly ends and the rest of our meal is eaten in relative silence. Jack passes by, not even noticing us. Keri eyes her for a moment, on guard, but eases up once she disappears. Let's just say that Keri and Jack didn't have a good… first meeting, as it were. Yeah, leave it at that.

Two days later, Shepard decides to head to the Citadel. He takes Francis and Garrus with him. Suddenly, I'm glad that I'm not going with them. Citadel politics have never been to my liking. One of the reasons I was glad to get away from that place.

Not minutes after the ground crew leaves, Joker's voice came over the speakers. "We have a new shipmate coming aboard. Shepard's orders."

"The name's Kasumi," a distant female voice says. There's some shuffling in the background, and the voice comes back on. "Kasumi Goto here! Nice to be aboard the _Normandy_!" Not so distant anymore.

"She's here already," Miranda mused. "Kasumi's a well-known thief, at least well known to Cerberus," she informs us.

Currently, Keri and I are standing in her office. Miranda was about to tell us why we were requested here, but was interrupted by Joker.

"She'll be a valuable member to the team. Anyways, back to business. The reason I've called you two here is to discuss sensitive intel regarding what happened on Omega. It seems that Sidonis wasn't acting alone when he betrayed you."

_Is she accusing one of us for betraying our family?_

Miranda leans forward, elbows planted firmly on her desk, hands folded underneath her chin. "Does the name Vernius Silican ring a bell?"

"He was one of your contacts, wasn't he Tristan?" Keri asks me.

"The best in the Terminus Systems. A krogan who liked to talk way too much." I reply. "Lost contact with him a month prior to… the betrayal."

"That's because, as we've discovered, he was working for the Blood Pack. Didn't you find it strange he never had any info on them?" Miranda commented. "I mean, if he was your best contact in the Terminus, why didn't he have any info on their movements?"

…

_That bastard. Him too?_

"Cerberus agents have tracked him down to a Blood Pack hideout on Vilius VII. I wanted to offer you a chance to take him out. If not, the agents are standing ready to bring him a swift end." Miranda offered.

Keri and I exchange glances, contemplating our next move. "What about the Commander and the mission?" Keri asks. "Don't we need his approval before any such operation?"

"I plan to run the idea past him when he gets back." Miranda reassures her.

"How long is he going to be there?" Time is of the essence, and as much as I'd like to go after him now, we still have a krogan to recruit.

"Not sure. The Commander wants to go pick up Okeer after this trip, but I can try to convince him otherwise." Miranda purses her lips together, leaning back.

"While I'd like to go after him myself…" I start.

"…we might not have the time." Keri finishes. "Send your agents after them, and thank you for uncovering this."

"No problem. Our agents are trying to locate Sidonis, but he's gone off the grid. This is just something we discovered while digging for him."

The tone in Miranda's voice indicates that this discussion is over. "Thank you, Miranda." The last words I say before we leave.

Of course, Sidonis isn't the only traitor. How many of my contacts might have been working for one of the enemy? How many were in this plot?

The rest of the day is uneventful until Shepard, Francis, and Garrus return. Shepard's grumbling about something under his breath. "The meeting didn't go well", Francis informs us. "The Council gave him Spectre status, but was thick headed and threatened to revoke it if he continued insisting the Reapers were behind the Citadel attack. He's been grumbling about those morons ever since we left Anderson's office. Want to get some grub?"

The three of us smile and head off, blissfully unaware of the trying months ahead that would put our bonds to the test.


	6. Reaching Okeer

**Disclaimer: I don't own Mass Effect. Has anybody ever found it strange that the cover in Mass Effect is indestructible? Even against rockets or RPGs? Thanks for the reviews, faves, and alerts! Please forgive me for any… confusing parts during this chapter. I don't remember the exact way to Okeer. I did my best to recreate it with help from the ME Wiki. **

It's an arid world, that's to be sure. Despite Keri's protests, I went with Shepard to pick up Okeer. We came across a wounded merc not far back; he was wounded, but not that badly. Delusional, thinking he was going to die. Shepard tricked him into giving us info about Warlord Okeer and Jedore, the commander of the Blue Suns stationed here.

We move quickly from cover to cover, Shepard in lead, Garrus behind him, me behind Garrus. A round whizzes past Shepard's head and slams into Garrus' shields. After ducking into various pieces of cover, we notice that our enemy is at the end of a long walkway, the same one we have to head down. More mercs swarm the area, taking cover as we are stopped dead in our tracks. Garrus whips out his sniper and takes some pot shots, presumably at the enemy sniper.

Shepard fires his Avenger and I unleash the fury of my Mattock as we remain deadlocked in this fierce combat. "Got him!" Garrus shouts while reloading.

"Move up!" Shepard orders. "Tristan, stun grenade!"

I comply, removing the orb from my belt and tossing it as we run. My aim is a little off, but it finds its target. A brief _pip_ and flash signal the detonation; the mercs are stumbling, trying to get their balance. I rush in, closing the distance between me and one of the mercenaries.

When I'm standing nearly in front of him, I bash him in the helmet with the butt of my gun. He stumbles back, gains his balance, and promptly is consumed by Mattock fire. Sniper fire to my right and a gurgle confirm another kill for Garrus. To my left, Shepard has already dealt with a couple of mercenaries, and is moving up a ramp.

Garrus changes to an Avenger and goes up top as I charge below the upper walkway. "Wrong way!" Shepard yells.

"Not exactly! Divide and conquer, my friend!" I reply. Already, the remaining Suns are dividing their fire. Lunging over a piece of cover, I barely avoid having my head shot off. Footsteps echo off the metal planks as the Suns rush forward, guns blazing. Up and to my right, I see Shepard slowly edging forward, with Garrus behind him.

The footsteps get closer, and I pour a steady stream of incendiary ammo at a heavy. Despite his allies are closer, if he fires… _crap!_

I roll out of cover and hit it as the rocket soars my way. The cover I was behind is demolished and now I'm out in the open. Fire from above knocks one of the mercs off his feet, and I finish him. The remaining merc tries to backtrack to where his buddies are holding; however, a few shots bring down his shields and leave a hole in his helmet, creating a little red mist.

One of the mercs, a commander I think, is lifted into the air and brought down, _hard_. The _crunch_ is audible even from this distance. The others begin to waver, but hold. We quickly overcome them and hit dirt. The ground beneath us is quiet, a nice change to the clanking metal we've been moving across.

After a few more skirmishes, we descend into a cave area. "It's loose!" somebody screamed. The familiar roar of a krogan is heard, and a body flies into view, breaking against the stone wall. There are multiple paths into the cavern, with deep, gaping holes leading to an unknown depth; one misstep and we'll fall to our dooms.

The krogan notices us and charges. His armor is red from head to toe, and the only sounds he makes are growls and roars. His armor catches fire and he continues hurtling towards me. Garrus brings him down with a shot to the head, and Shepard is mysteriously absent.

Reason being, he has his own mindless krogan to deal with. Shepard moves towards one of the edges, the krogan charges, and at the last moment, he sidesteps and the krogan plummets to his grave. The Commander peers over the ledge for a second then turns to us and signals for us to join him.

Soon, we're out of the cave and into a network of walkways. Up ahead, we hear firing and Shepard orders us to double time it. Turning the corner, we observe a lone krogan fighting mercs. After dealing with the Suns, Shepard approaches the krogan.

The poor guy is tank born, and "imperfect" as he puts it. He was shed from "Tank Mother" sent to fight "these fleshy things". I doubt he even knows what it means to be a krogan. One of Okeer's experiments, I'd guess. I feel sorry for him, just discarded like this because Okeer thought he was "imperfect". Fighting is all he knows, and he refuses to go with us, but removes a metal plate and allows us to surge forward. Shepard looks back with one sympathetic glance and moves on, and the walk is silent until we hit Suns commando, backed up by the regular troopers. Barriers and shields flare and Jedore's voice blares over the speakers. Bodies fall, blank eyes stare up at the skies. Helmets roll.

I run out of ammo on my Mattock and switch to my M-5 Phalanx pistols in time to see the last merc fall. Shepard and Garrus surge on ahead, I stay behind for a moment and pick up thermal clips before rejoining them.

No more resistance as we make our way to Okeer. Not much later, we reach his lab. "Shepard," Okeer greets, "you destroyed Saren's cloning facility on Virmire along with the cure to the genophage."

"If there had been any other way, I'd have taken it." Shepard replied sadly.

"Bah!" Okeer responds, waving a hand, "Those were not true krogan, they were abominations. You did what you had to. So, what brings a dead Spectre here?"

"The Collectors are abducting human colonies. We need your help to stop them." Shepard says sternly.

"I've had dealings with the Collectors before. Not sure what use I could be; if you want me though, I'll need your promise to transport my legacy too." Okeer responds, pointing to a tank containing a krogan.

"Big guy you got here," I state, observing the tank bred krogan. The tank is huge, and old krogan nods.

"I've been working on him for a while. He's the perfect krogan, completely unaffected by the genophage. All of our strengths, none of our weaknesses." Okeer loses a small smile. "He's the ultimate warrior."

"So if he's successful, you'll create an army for Jedore." Garrus observes. "An army of perfect krogan would be a threat to the galaxy."

"This is not for Jedore!" Okeer growls. "This is for my people, for the survival of the krogan race! Her army consists of my rejects, the ones going mad because she lacks the leadership skill required to control them…"

Okeer is cut off by blaring alarms and Jedore's voice. "Surrender your krogan, Okeer!" Jedore barks.

"Listen, Shepard!" Okeer quips, "If you want my help and knowledge, go down there and kill Jedore! Buy me some time!"

Shepard nods and we exit through the door on the other side, descend down the ramps, and open another door and enter a room with tanks containing krogans. Some of them get loose, others are killed by Jedore. A Ymir Mech towers above us, and opens fire as before we can get to cover. Explosions bloom across the deck where we are, nearly getting us. My shields flash and fail as I slam my back into cover behind the birthing tanks. Peering out of cover, I fire upon the mech, hoping to bring down its shields so Garrus and Shepard can finish it.

The metallic brute notices me and unloads a stream of plasma in my direction. I duck back behind the tank; I hear cracking and a _thump_ but the cover holds. The roar of a krogan fills my ears; funny enough, I don't remember _having _a krogan on our team or even near us.

_They're breaking out of the tanks_ I think to myself. Each tank spews forth a maddened krogan, charging the field; some charge us, others head towards Jedore or the YMIR Mech. For a moment, we're teamed up against the threat to us all. Of course, nothing lasts forever and we're back to shooting at each other.

While Garrus topples the mech, Shepard and I head towards Jedore. She backs up, firing wildly as shots bounce around us. A blue light cackles, her shields fail, and Jedore's armor is punctured. Her gun clatters to the floor as the rounds hit; she emits a low groan and falls backwards, arms outstretched. There's shock and defiance in her eyes as life leaves her body.

We've no moment to savor our victory, however, as alarms start blazing. EDI's voice fills our intercoms and informs us that toxic fumes have been released in Okeer's lab. Shepard doesn't need to say anything as we double time it back to the krogan scientist.

Too late, we reach Okeer, his corpse lying beside the tank holding his legacy. To the left, a holorecording loops, Okeer's final words echoing through the room. "Okeer sacrificed his life for this krogan?" Garrus exclaimed.

"It's his greatest achievement, his legacy. Plus, a pure krogan could be a powerful ally." I state. "Thoughts, Commander?"

"A pure krogan would be a heavy hitter, that's for sure." Shepard raises his left arm and speaks into his wrist-comm. "Normandy, Okeer's a no go. But we have a package, and he's a big one."


End file.
